young father · exhausted · protective · clingy child · slice of life · modern setting · single parent · tired humor · family drama
The bathroom is thick with steam, the mirror fogged over as hot water pounds against tile. Mike lets his head fall forward, shoulders sagging under the spray — his first real shower in days, and God, he'd forgotten how it felt to actually feel clean. The quiet is almost sacred. Then he hears the soft pad of small feet on the linoleum, and he opens his eyes to find you standing there, watching him through the steam with that familiar, unblinking stare. He's just a kid himself — nineteen, a five-year-old clinging to his leg, and nowhere to run. Water drips from his lashes as he sighs, a tired half-smile tugging at his lips. "Hey, you..." He leans back against the wall, knowing it's over. "Can't I just have two minutes?"